Pneumatic-tire-casing spreader



June 3 1924 WEAVER ET AL.

PNEUMATIC TIRE CASING SPREADER Filed Oct.

17 19].7 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 jams 3, 1924 imam I l. A. WEAVER ET AL PNEUMATIC TIRE CASING SPREADER Filed Oct. 17 1917 I5 Sheets-Sheet June 3 R92403 4963192 X. A. WEAVER ET AL PNEUMATIC TIRE CASING SPREADER Filed Oct 1791 7 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented dame 3, are,

ran a; wnavnn AND Roma a. sron, or'srnrnerrn; mentors, assrenomancracrnnme contrast, on srarnerrnrm, rrinors, a con- THE POMTIQN OFILLINOIS,

PNEUMATIC-TIRE-G :1. er a. a 1

application filed October 17,1917. Serial Ho. $7,072,

To all whom it may concern: Be it. known that we, IRA A. WEAVER and RomaG. STOEHR, both citizens of the United States, residing at Springfield,in the county of Sangamon andState of Illinois, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Pneumatic-Tire-Casing Spreaders, of whichthe following is a specification. Our invention pertainslto improved andnovel means for facilitating the inspection and repair of pneumatic tirecasings or shoes and similar structures. After a casing has beenpunctured or otherwise damaged, it is desirable to examine its innersurface to determine the cause of the injury, to efieot its removal ifstill present, and in some cases, to repair or reinforce the fabric ofthe casing by the application of a patch to its inner surface. Theaccomplishment of this work is aided by the use of one of theseappliances, which is adapted to successively spread or open up thevarious portions of the casing for inspection and turn-a part of itinside out if a patch or similar repair work is required.

One of the salient features of the invention is the provision of astructure of this general character which shall be simple inconstruction, economical to manufacture, effective in results, and easyto operate. The manner in which these and other desirable objects areattained will be readily understood by those skilled in theart from aconsideration of a referred embodiment of the invention descri ed indetail-below and illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming a partof this specification, and throughout the various views of which likereference characters refer to the same parts.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is an end elevation of the mechanism, the tirecasing being shown in section;

' Figure 2 is a front view of the same;

Figures 3 and 4: are fragmentary views similarto Figures land 2 showinga part of the casin turned inside out and clamped to a remova 1e form.block;

Figure 5 is a plan view of such block; and

form

ures 1 and 2, it will be 0 served that the Figure 6 is a cross-sectionthrough thedevice incorporates a cast-metal frame 10 comprising twoparts or halves bolted together at 11, 11, and supported on suitablelegs 12, 13, (not shown), 14, and 15, the

lower ends of which have fiat feet adapted to rest on the floor, and theupper ends of which are receivedand fastened in sockets 16 cast integralwith the companion frame members, these is s being connected togetherand braced by t e'horizontal bars 17, 18, and 19,

In order to support the tire casing'in a properimanner and at the sametime permit its position to be readily shifted for the spreading orflattening, of a new part, the frame 10 has revolubly mounted in it apair of spaced concave rollers 20 and 21, shaped to conform. in ageneral way to the form of the casing when opened up.

The spreading means comprises two opposite levers 22 and 23 fulcrumedonthe lower part of the frame at at and 25 on depending supports formingintegral parts of the frame. Such oppositely-disposed levers are adaptedto be swun downwardly and outwardly on their fu crnms by a treadle orpedal-lever 26 hinged or fulcrumed at 27011 a. bracket on the bar I9 andextending between the legs 14 and 15 and in juxtaposition to afixed-upright notched or ratchet bar 28 mounted on the horizontal bars17 and 18. Such pedal or foot lever is normally'lifted or raised by acoil contractile spring 29, but the lever may be maintained de ressed inany one of a variety of positions y co-operation with the notches orteeth of bar 28. tively connected by two links 30, 30,. with the outerends of the swinging arms 22 and 23 each of. which has a bifurcated. orY- shaped double-hook arm 31 and 32, respectivel y,pivoted thereto atits upper end and carrying at its free end two spaced ho'oks or jaws 33,33, adapted to engage or hook over the edge of a tire casing resting onthe sup porting curvedi'rollers 20 and '21.

Each of these'arrns or jaws 31 and 32 is connected by a curved link orloop 3d and a coil s ring 35 to its supporting and actuating ever 22 and23, as the case may be, eacharm being permitted to swing to either sideof its pivot pin and retained in such osition by its spring, butbeing'limited in its opening movement by a lateral lug or The foot leveris operafinger 36 adapted to strike the lever 22 or 23. In other words,each hook-equipped arm may swing beyond dead center on its supportinglever, either outwardly into inoperative 'position or inwardly intocasin engaging position, and it'will be yielding held in either positionby its spring whlc swings to eitherside of the pivot.

The appliance is operated as follows: Assuming that it is desired toinspect or examine the inner surface of a tire casing,

which, as is well known is rather stiff and clumsy to handle, the hookshaving been swung outwardly by hand to separated or expanded condition,in which relation they are automatically held by their springs passingdead center and maintaining theirstops 36 a ainst the arms 22 and 23,the casing is placed in an upright position on the rollers 20 and 21,whereupon the hook arms are swung or sprung over into the relation shownin Figure 1, with their hooks as shown in dotted lines in Figure 1,under which circumstances its inner surface ma be examined with facilityand dispatch. hen

the pedal is released, it rises automatically,

the hooks approach each other, and the casing contracts. Now theoperator rolls or turns the casing somewhat on its own axis, and whileresting on the rollers, bringing a new section into the field ofoperation of the hooks which temporarily open up such part, and theaction is progressively continued until the inspection of the entirecasing is consummated. In this way the casing can be fully inspected asto the nature and cause of the injury and for the determination of weakparts or areas.

If it becomes necessary to repair a hole in the casing, as by applyin apatch on its inner surface, it IS desirab e to turn such portion of thecasing inside out and maintain it temporarily in that relation, thusermitting the surface to be cleaned by ban or on a bufin machine andwhile applying the cement an fitting the patch.

To accomplish this advantageous result, the device is provided with anauxilia or supplemental removable or detachable orm of proper shapeadapted to'have the injured ortion of the casing clamped to it, the formein'g desirably convex in shape and co-operating with the outer surfaceof the casing. Such a form or block is shown by itself in Figures 5 and6 and in association wearer with the spreading mechanism in Figures 3and 4.

This form block 40 is hollow and has a longitudinally and transverselycurved or convex upper sheet-metal wall 41 and a flat base portion 42provided with depending ear portions 43, 43, and lateral bars 44 and 44slidable in cavities in the base and each provided externally of theblock with a threaded hook 45 and winged nut 46 by which it may betightened and loosened.

In use, this block is placed on the frame as shown in Figures 3- and 4,the lugs 43, 43, fitting in the frame and preventing misplacement ormalpositioning. Then the casing is opened up at the damaged place by thehooks '31 and 32 whereupon the clamps or catches 45 are caused to engagethe edges of the easing and are tightened by their nuts. In this waysuch portion of the casing is turned wrong side out or inside out, asshown in Figures 3 and 4. Then the hooks 31 and 32 are released and thecasing with the form block still clamped thereto may be removed from theappliance for cleaning and the application of the patch, whereupon theblock is unclamped and removed.

. With casings of small size the form block and its hooks alone may beused, not bnly for holding the casing wrong side out, but for spreadingit initially and turning it inside out by merely manipulating theclamping hooks. With larger casings, however, it is preferable to takeadvantage of the mechanical benefits of the spreading appliance properin association with the block.

It will be clear that the spreading device is adapted to accommodate andact upon casings of various sizes withoutadjustment, the hooks readilyadapting themselves by reason of their peculiar mountings to casings ofall ordinary sizes and shapes. Furthermore, since the clamping hooksassociated with the form block are adjustable they readily lendthemselves for use on casings of various dimensions.

To those skilled in this art it will be appreciated that many minormechanical changes may be made in the appliances presented withoutdeparture from the substance of the invention and without the. sacrificeof any of-its substantial benefits and advantages.

We claim:

1. In an appliance of the character described, the combination of meansto support a tire-casing, spreading means to open u such casing, andoperating means for sai spreadin means including rock-arms pivotedoutside of the space bounded by the tire casing at oints spaced aparttransversely of the casing, substantiall as described.

2;..lin an appliance of t e character described, the'combination ofmeans to support a tire casing, spreading means to engage an edge of thecasing and open it up, and a spring acting on said spreading meanstending to hold it either outwardly in inoperative position or inwardlyin casing-engaging operative position, substantially as described.

3. In an appliance of the character described, the combination of meansto support a tire casing, a lever arm, a hook pivoted on said arm andadapted to engage an edge of the casing and open it up during movementof the lever arm, means to operate said lever arm, and a spring actingon said hook to maintain it in casing-engaging relation, substantiallyas described.

4. In an appliance of the character described, the 'conibination ofmeans to support a tire casing, a'lever arm, a hook pivoted to saidarmand adapted to engage an edge of the casing and open it up duringmovement of the lever arm, means to operate said lever arm, and a springacting on said hook and adapted to hold it in inopez ative condition orinoperative casing-engaging condition, substantially as described.

5. In an appliance of the character described, the combination of meansto support a tire casing, a pair of lever arms out-- side of the spacebounded by the tire-casing, a hook pivoted to each of said arms, saidhooks being adapted to engage the edges of the casing and open. it upduring movement of the lever arms, and means to simultaneously operatesaid lever arms. and

hooks, substantially as described.

6. In an appliance of the character described, the combination of a formblock, means to spread a tire casing open over said block, and means toclamp the casing in spread condition to said block, substantially asdescribed.

7. In an appliance of the character described, the combination of a tirecasing spreading device, a form. block demountably associated with thespreading device and over which the latter is adapted to open up thecasing, and clamping means on said block adapted to hold said casing inspread condition on the block after removal of the block and casing fromthe spreading device, substantially as described.

8. In an appliance of the character described, the combination of a tirecasing spreading device adapted to engage the opposite edges of thecasing and open it up,

a form blockdemountably associated with the casing, means to preventdisplacement of the block in said device, and clamping means on saidblock adapted to hold said casing in spread condition on the block afterremoval of the block and casing from the spreading device, substantiallyas described.

10. In an appliance of the character described, the combination of aform block and clamps mounted thereon adapted to hold a tire casing inspread condition over the block, substantially as described.

11. In an appliance of the character described, the combination of aform block and clamps mounted on and adjustable relatively to said blockand adapted to hold tire casings of different sizes in spread conditionover said block, substantially as described.

12. In an applianceof the character described, the combination of aform" block shaped substantially to conform to the exterior surface ofa-portion of aftir'e casing when disposed inside out, and means adaptedto hold such tire casing in spread condition over the block,substantially as described.

13. A tire-repairin device comprising a base, a supporting b ock on saidbase and having an arcuate shape curved surface adapted to engage a tireshoe to dispose the inner face thereof outwardly, and means for securingthe casin or shoe to the base, sub stantially as described.

IRA A. WEAVER. ROLLA G. STOEHR.

